Common English Bible CEB
New King James Version NKJV
1 Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, restrain his tongue with a rope?
1
"Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
2 Can you put a cord through his nose, pierce his jaw with a barb?
2
Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook?
3 Will he beg you at length or speak gentle words to you?
3
Will he make many supplications to you? Will he speak softly to you?
4 Will he make a pact with you so that you will take him as a permanent slave?
4
Will he make a covenant with you? Will you take him as a servant forever?
5 Can you play with him like a bird, put a leash on him for your girls?
5
Will you play with him as with a bird, Or will you leash him for your maidens?
6 Will merchants sell him; will they divide him among traders?
6
Will your companions make a banquet of him? Will they apportion him among the merchants?
7 Can you fill his hide with darts, his head with a fishing spear?
7
Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears?
8 Should you lay your hand on him, you would never remember the battle.
8
Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle-- Never do it again!
9 Such hopes would be delusional; surely the sight of him makes one stumble.
9
Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him?
10 Nobody is fierce enough to rouse him; who then can stand before me?
10
No one is so fierce that he would dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand against Me?
11 Who opposes me that I must repay? Everything under heaven is mine.
11
Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.
12 I'm not awed by his limbs, his strength, and impressive form.
12
"I will not conceal his limbs, His mighty power, or his graceful proportions.
13 Who can remove his outer garment; who can come with a bridle for him?
13
Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle?
14 Who can open the doors of his mouth, surrounded by frightening teeth?
14
Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?
15 His matching scales are his pride, closely locked and sealed.
15
His rows of scales are his pride, Shut up tightly as with a seal;
16 One touches another; even air can't come between them.
16
One is so near another That no air can come between them;
17 Each clings to its pair; joined, they can't be separated.
17
They are joined one to another, They stick together and cannot be parted.
18 His sneezes emit flashes of light; his eyes are like dawn's rays.
18
His sneezings flash forth light, And his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19 Shafts of fire shoot from his mouth; like fiery sparks they fly out.
19
Out of his mouth go burning lights; Sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from his nostrils like a boiling pot over reeds.
20
Smoke goes out of his nostrils, As from a boiling pot and burning rushes.
21 His breath lights coals; a flame shoots from his mouth.
21
His breath kindles coals, And a flame goes out of his mouth.
22 Power resides in his neck; violence dances before him.
22
Strength dwells in his neck, And sorrow dances before him.
23 The folds of his flesh stick together; on him they are tough and unyielding.
23
The folds of his flesh are joined together; They are firm on him and cannot be moved.
24 His heart is solid like a rock, hard like a lower millstone.
24
His heart is as hard as stone, Even as hard as the lower millstone.
25 The divine beings dread his rising; they withdraw before his thrashing.
25
When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid; Because of his crashings they are beside themselves.
26 The sword that touches him won't prevail; neither will the dart, spear, nor javelin.
26
Though the sword reaches him, it cannot avail; Nor does spear, dart, or javelin.
27 He treats iron as straw, bronze as rotten wood.
27
He regards iron as straw, And bronze as rotten wood.
28 Arrows can't make him flee; slingstones he turns to straw.
28
The arrow cannot make him flee; Slingstones become like stubble to him.
29 He treats a club like straw; he laughs at the lance's rattle.
29
Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins.
30 His abdomen is like jagged pottery shards; its sharp edges leave a trail in the mud.
30
His undersides are like sharp potsherds; He spreads pointed marks in the mire.
31 He causes the depths to churn like a boiling pot, stirs up the sea like a pot of scented oils,
31
He makes the deep boil like a pot; He makes the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 leaves a bright wake behind him; the frothy deep seems white-haired.
32
He leaves a shining wake behind him; One would think the deep had white hair.
33 None on earth can compare to him; he is made to be without fear.
33
On earth there is nothing like him, Which is made without fear.
34 He looks on all the proud; he is king over all proud beasts.
34
He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride."
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.